Dental apparatus



July 2,71929. w. G. BRIDGE ET AL. 1.719.750

` DENTAL APPARATUS Filed Sept. 29, 192'? Patented July 2, 1929. l'

UNITED STATES UMD PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER Gr. BRIDGE, OF NEWTN, AND WLLIAM A.. PERVIER, OF WATERTOWN,

MASSACHUSETTS, ASSTIGNORS TO CHARLES PARKHURST, OF SOMERVILLE, MAS- SAGHSETTS.

DENTAL APFABATS.

. Application filed September' 29, 1927. Serial No. 222.789.

y This invention relates to a method ot descnsitizinp; the nerves oi teeth and an apparatus designed to carry out the method. rlhe apparatus comprises a type ot nozzle adapted to produce a line j et et steam which may ccn- \"cniently be used by dentists in oipierating on or extracting' teeth and to a type et steam generator suitable for use therewith.

Among' the objects ot' the invention are to provide an eilicient method of dessensitizing1 the nerves of teeth to enable them to be onerated on or extracted in a substantially painless manner; to provide a. method which is quick. eilicient and cheap; and to avoid the use of drugs o'l` any kind, some ot which have an undesirable physiological action; also to provide an apparatus capable of carrying' out the method.

llllith respect to the apparatus the invention includes the provision oit an improved nozzle which will operate to produce a very line j et of steam and in so doing' will provide means t'or separating; from the steam. any droplets of condensed Water vvhich might scald or burn the mouth or lips ot' a patient beine; operated upon; and also the provision oit a steam ,Qenerator which will be suited 'tor use with a device of this character, which has provision for accurately controlling the amount and quality of the steam generated., and which is suitable for use in a dentists operating room.

Other objects and advantages of the method and apparatus constituting the invention will be apparent from a readina oit the 'following' specification and appended claims when taken in connection With the accompanying drawings, in Which:

Fie". 1 is a vievv partly in section oi the nozzle and a portion of the steam generator with one-half of the handle or casing; member ot the nozzle removed;

Fie'. 2 is a section substantially on the line 22 in Fin'. 1.

We have found that if a tooth is heated to a temperature substantially above that oit the body and yet considerably 'less than the boilinn' point of Water. the nerve or nerves thereof are desensitized and small operations may be made on the tooth and in some cases it may be extracted. the preferred temperature being' approximately 120o F. The most desirable and elticient Way of producing such local heating We have found to be that of directing a jet of steam at a low pressure onto the tooth in question, it being necessary in some cases to protect thelips and gums of the patient during' the treatment.

The apparatus which We have designed to carry out our method comprises briefly a steam generator having substantially automatic means for controlling it to generate loiv pressure steam and a hand nozzle which is provided with means for draining oli any condensate which may accumulate in the passages to or in the nozzle or Which may be carried mechanically by the flow of steam from the generator. y

Referring; to Figs. 1 and 2, the nozzle is indicated lQjenerally at 1 and comprises a pair of complementary halves`2 and 3 ot heat in-4 sulatinr material such as cork Yl'orminga handle grip, the halves being fastened to- ,Q'etherin any suitable manner.` as for example by a plurality of headed bolts l extending' through registering; openings in the halves and fastened in place by nuts 5 and washers 6. Steam may be conducted to the nozzle 1 through a flexible tube 7 connecting at the lovver end of the handle grip to a tube 8 preferably of metal or other relatively hard material. `The upper end of the tube 8 is curved asshoy-vn at 9. and directed downwardly into a Well 1() extending substantially the entire length otthe handle portion of the nozzle, the Well having; a suitable drain conduit 11 at its bottom. The Well is connected` at its upper end with a valve housing 12 in which is contained a needle valve 13 operated. by the hand screw 14 andA controlling the flow of steam from the Well into' a substantially horizontal duct 15. Thus it Will be seen that any steam which condenses in the ducts 7 and 8 from the generator or in the Well 10 Will be drained otthroug'h the duct 11.

At its forward end the duct 15 communi- Cates With an enlarged chamber 16 having thick Walls as seen at 17 which airain serves as a condensing' chamber and permits any `stean'i which has condensed Within the nozzle 1 to drain oli through a duct 18. The drains 11 and 18 may communicate With the steam generator below the liquid level. therein or with any suitable drain as desired. The chamber 16 is provided with a constricted outlet 19 through Which the steam may llovv and be directed tovvard the tooth to be operated upon.

From the above description, the operation ot the steam generator and heating unit will be obvious. Power is supplied to the heating unit 47 through the lines 59, the heat being ycontrolled by the rheostat 60. In the event that the water chamber 22 is dry when the power is turned on, the heat from the unit 47 will be conducted through the various parts to the thermostatic disk 57 which will flex suddenly and abruptly in the opposite direction and will open the circuit permitting the heating unit to cool oli". After the thermostatic disk has cooled to a predetermined safe temperature, the disk 57 will snap abruptly back to the position shown in Fig. 4, again completing the circuit and thus preventing the burning out of the device.

Inasmuch as Various changes may be made in our method an'd in the apparatus which we show and describe herein for carrying it out, we do not wish to be limited except by the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A steam nozzle for producing a tine jet of steam comprising'a steam supply tube, a line orifice at one end thereof, and a condenate drain from the tube adjacent to said ori- 2. A steam nozzle for producing a fine jet of steam comprising a steam supply tube, a needle valve in said tube for controlling the flow of steam therethrough, an orifice, and means adjacent to the oriiice for draining olf any liquid which may condense in the nozzle or in the passages leading thereto.

3. A steam nozzle for producing a line jet of steam comprising means for feeding steam to said nozzle, a needle valve in the nozzle, a duct from said needle valve, an oriice in the end of said duct, means for draining condensate from passage going to the needle valve, and means for draining condensate from said nozzle at apoint adjacent to said orifice. p

' t. A steam nozzle for producing a tine jet of steam comprising a well, a downwardly directed duct for supplying steam to said well. a condensate drain at the bottom of said well, a dry steam outlet from the top of said well having aneedle valve therein, a duct leading from said needle valve, a tine orifice at the end of said last-named duct, and a second condensate drain adjacent to said oritice.

5. A steam nozzle for producing a tine jet of steam comprising a steam supply tube, a thick walled enlarged expansion and cooling chamber at one end of said tube, a line oritice in said chamber, and means for draining condensate from said chamber.

6. A steam nozzle tor producing a tine jet of steam comprising a well, a steam supply to said Well, a condensate drain trom said Well, a steam outlet tube trom said well, a valve tor regulating the tiow ot' steam through the device, an enlargement in said outlet tube forming a cooling and expansion chamber at its outlet and having a line ori tice therein, and means tor draining the condensate from said chamber.

7. A device tor desensitizing the nerves ot teeth comprising a steam nozzle, means for feeding steam thereto` means or controlling the flow of steam passing through the nozzle, a duct through the nozzle having a tine orifice at one end thereof, means adjacent to said erilice for draining ott condensate, and a heat insulated handle substantially enclosing the nozzle parts.

8. In a device for desensitizing the nerves of teeth, a Isteam nozzle member, and meansl for supplying steam to said member, said nozzle member comprising an L-shaped haudle of heat insulating material, a well in eue arm of the handle, means for feeding steam downwardly into the well from a point adjacentto its top, a condensate drain duct cennected to the bottom of the well, a duct in the other arm of thc handle, a needle valve between said well and said last-named duct. an enlarged thick-walled member located at the end ofsaid last-named duct outside the handle member and having an enlarged chamber therein, a tine outlet orilice trom said chamber, and a duct for draining the condensate from said chamber, whereby to produce a tine jet of steam for treating the tooth.

Signed by us at Boston, Massachusetts, this 20th and 13th days ot September, 1927, re`

spectively.

WALTER G. BRIDGE. WILLIAM A. PERVIER. 

